Fever Returns Home to Take on Blizzard
May 27, 2016 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Tri-Cities Fever News Release
Things have admittedly not got that well for the Tri-Cities Fever for the past month or so. In search of putting a complete game together, Tri-Cities has dropped five straight games and sit at 3-9 on the season.
And while taking the Intense Conference's top seed into the playoffs is no longer a reality, the Fever are still fighting for a playoff spot.
Tri-Cities sits two games behind defending conference champion Nebraska (5-7) with four games left in the regular season. The Fever looks to get back to on track Saturday night against the Green Bay Blizzard (3-9) at the Toyota Center. Kickoff is 7:05 p.m.
The two teams turn right back around and play in two weeks in Green Bay.
The Fever and Nebraska Danger, which has also lost five games in a row, meet on the final night of the regular season in Kennewick.
Tri-Cities, during its recent stretch, has shown glimpses of a being a playoff-type caliber team. But the Fever has not been able to maintain a high level of play for a complete game.
Last week, Tri-Cities lost to Spokane 45-23. The Fever trailed 39-9 at halftime, but rallied in the second half and closed the margin to 39-23 and had several chances to get even closer.
The Tri-Cities defense allowed just six second-half points against one of the league's best offenses, but it was not enough to recover from a 20-0, first-half deficit.
The Fever offense had 20 yards more of total offense than the Empire as Hunter Wanket completed 20 of 34 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Rob Brown led all receivers with eight catches for 83 yards.
Newly-signed Chris Gant had three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. Dejuan Miller added four catches for 30 yards and a score.
The Fever and Blizzard have met three times, with Green Bay holding a 2-1 edge. All three games have been high-scoring contests with the winner scoring at least 60 points in each contest.
Notes: The Fever is 2-4 at home this season, while the Blizzard is 0-6 on the road ... Green Bay has lost two straight games, including a 58-24 loss last Saturday night to Sioux Falls ... The Fever offense is averaging 38.1 points per game, ranking last in the league; Green Bay is averaging 40.1 points per game, eighth in the IFL ... Green Bay is allowing a league-worst 57.8 points per game ... Fever defense ranks second in pass defense allowing 136.2 yards per game ... Green Bay quarterback Matt Behrendt ranks second in the league in completions (172), yards (1,965) and touchdowns (46). He also has been sacked a league-high 37 times and leads the league in yards lost (242) ... Brandon Wilson ranks fifth in the league in tackles-for-loss with 12 ... Dee Maggitt Jr. is tied for second in the league with seven interceptions while Boubacar Cissoko is fourth with five. And while taking the Intense Conference's top seed into the playoffs is no longer a reality, the Fever are still fighting for a playoff spot.
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Indoor Football League Stories from May 27, 2016
- Empire Defeats Colorado 55-44 - Spokane Empire
- Barnstormers Lose in Overtime - Iowa Barnstormers
- Fever Returns Home to Take on Blizzard - Tri-Cities Fever
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